Pulling Strings
by allGreeekToMe
Summary: Batman leads the team on a mission, but small mistakes lead to disastrous outcomes, and someone has to pay that price. Contains references and characters from the DC universe not explicitly appearing in the YJ cartoon series. Authors Note: This story contains a lot of violence, which may not be suitable for some readers.
1. Night at the museum

**Chapter 1: Night at the Museum  
**

 _I can't do it. I'm no father figure. What do we even have in common? I grew up on a farm in the Midwest. He grew up in a test tube! No, he's where he needs to be. People his own age. Well, sort of. They understand him better at least. Let him look up to one of them, they'll teach him to fit in. Where does Bruce get off, anyway, trying to tell me what to do? Just because he adopted that circus kid..._

Clark Kent gave a start, and brought his mind back to the present. "I'm sorry Lois, you were saying something?"

Clark winced as Lois Lane, his date for the evening, sighed in frustration. "Never mind, Clark. I can see you've got a lot on your mind, let's just call it a night." She lay down her napkin and stood, turning pointedly away from him as she adjusted her purse.

As she left, Clark signaled for the check and looked about the restaurant dejectedly. This was one of Metropolis's newest establishments, and it had taken weeks to get a reservation. Now the evening was spoiled, and Clark knew it was his fault. This was supposed to be his day off. Ever since forming the Justice League, he had found it easier to be a full time Superman. But that meant less time with Lois. It was only on rare days like this that he was able to be with her, incognito. And now he had let his concerns about Superboy spoil that.

 _And that's another reason I can't have some kid following me around! I have a life, and not just as Superman. Bruce and Oliver are constantly complaining about the struggle to balance work and their alter egos. Why do they always want to add another headache, having some kid hanging around?_

Clark shook his head, trying to clear it. More and more, he seemed to be dwelling on the clone the sidekicks had recently discovered. Maybe it was time for a vacation, time to go and see _his_ father figure. It had been a long time since he last visited the old farm.

 _Dad always knows what to do. He'll help me set this straight._

…...

Scene: Mount Justice. Common Room. 21:00 Hours

"Here they are!" M'gann M'rozz danced into the room, a tray of cookies floating telekinetically behind her.

"Asterous!" Robin smiled. He and his best friend Wally had been waiting all day to begin their competition. Boredom was the reigning emotion at the mountain hideout, and he and Wally had been poking jokes at each other all morning until Kaldur suggested a competition- Wally's speed against Robin's mastery of words in an epic tongue twister battle. M'gann had instantly offered to bake a plate of cookies for the winner. At first, Wally and Dick had shared a skeptical smile, but Artemis had offered to join her in the kitchen and now, seeing the fruits of the girls' labor, both boys were glad they had waited to begin the competition.

"Why don't you lovely ladies set those right here next to the Wall-man," Wally joked. "We all know I'm going to win this one. Let's start with something simple- Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickled Peppers, a Peck of Pickled Peppers, Peter Piper Picked." Wally was slowly intoning the familiar tongue twister, smirking at Robin as he enunciated each word clearly. "If Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickled Peppers, Where's the Peck of Pickled Peppers, Peter Piper Picked?" He grinned and waved a hand in Robin's direction.

Robin rolled his eyes. "This is a competition, Wally. Try something a little more impressive." He stuck his tongue out before launching into, "How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?"

Without blinking, Wally responded "A wood chuck would chuck all the wood, if a woodchuck could chuck wood!" He laughed. "What do you say we take this up a notch? I can say 'She sells sea shells by the sea shore' one hundred times fast. Can you?"

Robin swallowed. The tongue twister itself wasn't so bad, but anything repeated a hundred times got confusing. "Kaldur, can you count for me?" The muscular teen nodded. "Alright then. Shesellsseashellsbytheseashore. Shesellsseashellsbytheseashore. Shesellsseashells..."

Kaldur made tally marks on the paper he was keeping score with, while Connor used his super hearing to make sure he didn't make any mistakes. He nodded at the others, impressed, when Kaldur signaled that Robin had made it to one hundred.

Grinning, Robin countered, "Well if its repetition you like, how about this: 'Red leather Yellow leather.'"

"Praising my sense of fashion?" Wally quipped. "Any time!" and he launched into the challenge.

Their competition went on for almost an hour, as the two boys quickly exhausted their repertoire of tongue twisters, and began making new ones. About the time they started poking fun at the senior members of the Justice League, Batman appeared in the doorway behind them. Kaldur was the first to notice him, but Batman silenced him with a quick gesture. Kaldur's worried look went unnoticed by the two dueling heroes, but the rest of the room quickly became aware of Kaldur's drawn face, and the reason for it.

It was at that moment that Dick began his most recent creation, a hugely unflattering limerick about Batman himself. Robin barely made it through the limerick, he and Wally both breaking into laughter as he finished the last line. "You win! You win!" Wally chocked, holding his sides as he rolled on the floor. Dick, kneeling beside him, was about to answer when he looked into Kaldur's face and realized no one else was laughing with them.

Dick and Wally both froze, as the object of their laughter stalked into the room. Batman swept into the center and rounded on the two of them, treating them to one of his best glares. Flourishing his cape, Batman began in a soft, menacing tone...

"Voila! In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of Fate!" Eyebrows rose around the room as Batman made a fist and brought it to his chest, continuing, "This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished. "Pointing an accusing finger at the boys, he went on, "However, this valorous visitation of a by-gone vexation, stands vivified, and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin vanguarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition!" Throwing back his arms and lifting his cowled face skyward, Batman bellowed, "The only verdict is vengeance!" Bringing his glare back to the two boys, Batman again lowered his voice and finished, "A vendetta, held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous!" Throwing his cape around him, Batman, snatched the plate of cookies from between the two sidekicks and soared from the room, a snarl on his face and a twinkle in his eye.

…

Moments later, the senior heroes were enjoying a good laugh as Batman chewed smugly on his winnings. Martian Manhunter lifted a hand in warning as Batman started the next cookie. "I would be careful, friend. While the children have been kind enough to give her a few pointers, M'gaan's cooking does leave something to be desired."

Batman nodded in assent. "I've heard the stories. It seems it's not just what comes out of Wally's mouth that gets him in trouble these days." The adults chuckled again, and J'onn was about to make another comment when the alarm on the computer went off.

"Go ahead GL," Black Canary said.

Green Lantern, on watchtower duty, quickly filled in the heroes...

…...

Scene: Bialya, Uninhabited Desert. 11:00 Hours

Machinery whined and then became silent as the last of the sand was cleared from a large structure in the desert. The mounds of sand ringing the dig site gave the area the appearance of a crater. At the bottom, five weatherbeaten obelisks rose from an unbroken slab of dark stone, roughly the size and shape of a baseball field.

"My lady, it is done."

Morgaine le Fey smiled as she addressed the ensorcelled man bowing in front of her. "Then it is time to begin. Have the others clear the area. Mordred?"

"Yes mother," came her son's smug reply. He spoke a few words, and clouds gathered on the horizon. Within seconds, a violent storm was whipping across the desert. As lightning danced through the roiling clouds of sand, patterns began to appear between the pillars of the recently excavated structure.

"It is time to begin the incantation. Soon, we will bring this world into a new age, and no one, not even the League, will be powerful enough to stop us!"

…...

Scene: Gotham City, Euller Museum of Modern Art, Lobby. 22:17

The sixties rock and roll coming from the old-fashioned jukebox in the corner was at odds with the terror in the eyes of the thirty hostages sitting in rows on the floor in the main lobby of Gotham's glitzy new art expo. Large pillars stood at each corner of the group, while an honor guard of fake trees flanking the room providing a pleasant contrast to the embroidered maroon carpet beneath the feet of the two machine-gun-wielding thugs who were terrorizing the assembled millionaires. Several bullet holes in the vaulted ceiling reminded the gagged prisoners that these men weren't merely carrying props.

Down in the kitchen, another armed guard menaced the wait staff, who were huddled in the corner by the industrial range and the walk-in freezer. A short man leaned on the counter, a look of regret on his chubby face as he apologized again to the five workers in the corner. A large puppet, held in the man's left hand, rolled its eyes. The puppet was dressed to the nines in a freshly laundered pin stripe suit, in stark contrast to the balding ventriloquist with his dirty tank top and smudged glasses. Cutting off the heavy man's apologies with a brusque wave of his hand, the impatient puppet growled to his henchman, "Hey Dummy! What am I paying you for, standing around looking pretty? Get these punks tied up before someone decides to be a hero, wouldya?"

"Yes sir, Mr. Scarface," was the prompt reply.

…...

Briefing over, the heroes rushed to their respective tasks. Realizing he was the last one in the room, Batman glanced around furtively before sweeping two more cookies under his cloak and running after the others. They _were_ good cookies, after all.

…...

Scene: Mount Justice, briefing room. 22:32

Batman surveyed the assembled team. Artemis and Wally had both left for home, (Wally in quite a hurry, he was sure) and there wasn't time to recall them. Kaldur, Superboy, Megan, and a very abashed Robin stood before him. Superman paused in the door way on his way by, to observe the briefing.

"Team," he began, "we have a situation. Eight minutes ago the watchtower received an alert from Gotham City Museum of Modern Art." He pulled up a map of Gotham on the screen in front of them, with a red dot indicating the location of the home. "The museum is hosting a brand new exhibit, consisting entirely of digitally recreated artwork from around the world. The main attraction is the Holo-pod, which showcases the art in a virtual reality simulation, as well as the new scanning device that makes this exhibit possible. It combines lasers, x-rays, and the latest in digital technology to scan a three-dimensional object at the atomic level and recreate it, molecule by molecule, inside the virtual reality simulation. This process has led to the discovery of a number of previously unknown works of art which had been painted over or altered in the past. While these works can never be recovered in the physical world, the virtual simulation allows for experts to dissect these pieces and reveal the previously unknown originals.

"Tonight, the museum is opening the exhibit by offering a demonstration of this process. The museum has acquired a statue of Bastet, the ancient Egyptian cat-god. Archeologists have been studying the statue for almost a decade. It appears to be carved from a single piece of onyx, but it is far heavier than it should be, and past tests have indidcated that there is definitely something else lodged within it. The legends surrounding it claim that it was forged by the mystics of old to contain a great evil, but what that evil is remains a mystery. The museum hopes that by scanning it, they will be able to break open the digital copy and see what it is housing.

"Three months ago, the criminal Arnold Wesker, better known as the Ventriloquist, was released from Arkham Assylumn following a successful rehabilitation program. He is currently holding hostage the residents of Gotham Heights, from which we can infer that the program was not, in fact successful." Batman brought another image on to the screen, this one of a large doll in a pinstripe suit with a scar over one eye. "This is Scarf-IC!" Batman's voice rose sharply, cutting off the end of his word. He paused for a moment frowning. "Scarf-IC!"

Robin cast a confused look at his team, who appeared equally perplexed, as Batman cleared his throat.

"Scarface, Batman?"

"Yes. Scarface," Batman answered, his voice sounding a little strained, "represented by this puppet, is the manifestation of Wesk-HIC! Of Wesker's split personality. Wesk-Hic-ker," Batman was beginning to look annoyed, "is totally dominated by his alter-HIC. Al-Hic! Altern-IC!" Batman turned away from the team, falling into an uncontrollable bout of hiccups.

The team stood there in stunned silence for a moment. Superman glanced at the team, and was surprised to see a grin matching his own on Conner's face. The two made eye contact, and both burst out laughing, setting off the rest of the team as well. A stern glare, which was mostly ruined by an interrupting hiccup, quieted them, but they couldn't keep from grinning as they looked at each other. _Some father figure I am,_ Superman thought, sobering. _Standing here, teaching them to laugh at their mentor and my friend._ A frown crossed his face, and he turned away from the room.

"Robin," Batman choked out. "Continue here," and he excused himself from the room. Robin chuckled, and continued filling in the team about Wesker's background, and his relationship to the puppet Scarface. By the time he finished, Batman had returned, and there was no mistaking the menace in his glare this time. Robin fell back into line, and the team wisely kept neutral expressions on their faces as Batman finished briefing them.

"One last thing-" Batman said as the team headed towards the bioship. "I'm coming with you. Wesker may be insane, but he is still a genius, and that makes him a dangerous criminal. I'm not comfortable sending you against him alone. Besides, we still don't know why he's there- the money, the tech, or the statue. But whatever it is, it's probably just a small piece of a much larger plot. Until we know what that is, I'm taking a hands-on approach. Superboy, the Justice League is a man short if I'm with the team. I'd like you to accompany them. Stay with J'onn, He's going to have his hands full. He will need you there to back him up."

The team paused for a moment, as they processed this new development, but were wise enough not to argue as Batman entered the bioship, and Conner turned back towards the zeta tubes.

The ride to the museum home was tense, to say the least. None of the team could make eye contact without giggling, and the more Batman glared the harder it became to keep a straight face. Finally realizing he wasn't going to win, Batman had them drop him behind the large building. As soon as he was gone, the team gave in and laughed, reveling in their mentor's embarrassment.

After giving the team a long five minutes to collect themselves, Batman contacted them on the coms. "Kaldur! Take the roof. Robin, you take the front entrance. I have the rear. Are you ready?"

The Kaldur and Robin both replied in the affirmative, with just the barest hint of mirth still in their voices. "Batman, where do you want me?" Miss Martian asked.

"Stay on the roof, we'll call you if we need you inside. I want someone out here keeping an eye on things, at least until we know whats going on inside."

"Do you want me to link us up?"

"No." Batman's terse command made Robin chuckle.

"You really don't want to, M'gann," Robin smirked as he prepared to drop. "Let's stick to coms for now." On the private channel (of course they had a private channel) Robin couldn't help but poke a little fun. "Are you sure you don't want M'gann to link us up? We don't need the tech causing any hiccups tonight." A loud **/*click/*** was all the answer he received. Dick grinned as he made his way stealthily up the wide marble steps. Out of the corner of his eye, Robin saw a set of black, pointy ears peek over the edge of the roof for a second before disappearing again. He keyed his mic. "Batman? I thought you were taking the back?" All he got back was static. _Huh. He must be angrier than I thought._ Dismissing the caped crusader from his mind, Dick made his way inside.

On the roof top, Catwoman watched as the muscular boy made his way inside. She considered following him, but the green skinned girl who had vanished almost as soon as she had touched the roof made her pause. She wanted, no, _needed_ , that statue, and this expo was the only time it was going to be out in the open. She had almost had it two years ago, when it was first transferred from the museums research lab to the high security vaults, but a certain _meddling_ team of vigilantes had stopped her. She still held a grudge about that. Slipping lithely over the edge of the roof, Catwoman made her way in through an upper window above the main entrance. As she went, she caught site of a red and yellow figure stealthily approaching the building. _Of course those two are here,_ she thought to herself. _Can't a girl catch a break anymore?_ Hoping she hadn't been seen, she quickly scooted away from the edge and into the building.

Batman crouched motionless in the silent room. It was an eery silence, the kind that comes from fear. A base emotional response, stemming from the urge to hide when running and fighting were no longer an option. Hidden behind one of the central pillars, he observed the thirty hostages and their guards. The tension was obvious in every movement the guards made, and the fingers they held tightly to the triggers of their guns. Something big was going on here, much more than a simple heist.

Batman had been in the building for a little over ten minutes now, plenty of time for the rest of the team to have arrived. He was beginning to grow concerned, and silently cursed himself for not agreeing to the mind link earlier. The situation inside dictated total radio silence, and he had no way to communicate with the rest of the team. He was particularly worried for his young protege, whom he had sent in through the main doors alone. _Dick can handle himself,_ Batman reassured himself. _He knows better than to announce his presence before scoping out the situation. He's probably just being careful._ Grimacing to himself, Batman cursed again for his own carelessness. The children's laughter earlier, innocent as it was, had rankled him more than he cared to admit, and he had recklessly plunged into the building without reconnoitering it first. Had he been thinking clearly, he would have recognized the danger before a squad of heavily armed men had crossed his path behind him, trapping him in the slim shadow of the pillar. He had counted over a dozen men now, moving in squads of three, all heavily armed, and alternating their routes through the hallway he had entered by so that it was under constant observation.

There were other squads too, each filtering through the other entry points into the room. It was hard to tell, but if he assumed that every floor was as well guarded as this one, Batman estimated that there were at least fifty thugs inside the building. The fact that he had managed to reach the main room without encountering them was in itself a minor miracle, or a minor disaster, depending on how he looked at it. He had been taken completely by surprise when the first squad had rounded the corner, and only the fact that he was already in the shadow of the pillar had kept him from being detected. He had been trapped there ever since. His mind was in overdrive, trying to come up with a solution to his problem, when Scarface stalked into the room, followed by a timid Arnold Whesker. (It was odd, seeing them as too different people, when in reality Scarface was a two and a half foot tall puppet being carried by the heavy set man, but the separation of Whesker's personalities was so complete that Batman found it easier to treat the man and the puppet as separate entities.)

"Status report!" Barked the puppet. One of the guards hurriedly ran up to him and began speaking.

"All quiet, Mr. Scarface!" There was only a mild tremor in the man's voice, but his body language spoke volumes. He was clearly uncomfortable talking to the puppet, and Batman wondered what had transpired to make so large a crew so obedient.

"Don't let that fool you," the puppet growled. "Batman will be here, mark my words."

"Mr. Scarface sir," Whesker interrupted. "Are you sure you want to do this? The last time we met the Batman..." Scarface glared the larger man into silence, before turning back to the thug.

"Shut this dummy up, will ya? He's getting on my nerves." Scarface (and the trembling Whesker) turned and left the room before the man could answer.

In another part of the building, Catwoman watched unseen as one of the scientists finished packing up the scanner and holopods. Clearly this crew was here for the technology, but one of them had swiped her statue too. She pouted as she pondered how to retrieve it. As a group of thugs loaded everything into a truck, Catwoman used the exposed girders criss-crossing the ceiling to sneak after the one who had taken the statue. She had to be careful, as the group had sentries posted on the catwalks just beneath her, but large art displays draping from the ceiling gave her cover as she maneuvered.

She was distracted by a dark haired shadow whisking by beneath her. Artfully dodging the gaze of a sentry, the figure spun and flipped silently through the empty space between the floor and the ceiling, seeming weightless as he swung from girders and flipped off of railings. _Robin_. Catwoman watched in awe as he crossed the room. Even she couldn't match the grace this boy showed, as he leapt and twirled, never losing his balance, never touching down for more than an instant, and above all never making a sound. She smiled as he flourished, showing off to an unseen audience, the motion so habitual he probably didn't even know he was doing it. Breathlessly, she tracked his performance as he effortlessly flew across the room, not daring to move for fear of startling him and ruining the show. Even after he left the room, she held her breath, hoping to see him return for an encore. _That was incredible!_ Startled at the thought, Selena shook herself, coming back to the room and the situation around her. Emotions flared, hot and fast in her chest, before she pushed them down. Biting her lip, she struggled to re-assume her criminal persona. _So..._ _The little bird is here. That means the Bat can't be far behind._ There, that did the trick. Batman. A dangerous grin slowly grew on Catwoman's face. She had a score to settle.

Robin finally made it into the museum's lobby. There were no graceful thoughts in his head as he moved, unconsciously dropping to the ground in a silent roll as the bare girders turned into the finished ceiling of the hallway leading to the lobby, just calculating professionalism. He rose to his feet and darted after the squad of guards that had just passed beneath him. There were only three in this squad, and he was sure he could take them without any trouble. But he didn't want to give away his presence just yet. The end of this hallway emptied into the back of the main lobby, and was heavily shadowed. If he could just make it to the lobby, he could disappear without ever being detected. Luckily the squad ahead didn't think to look back down the lit hallway, and he fervently hoped his luck would hold long enough for him to reach the shadows again.

In the shadow behind one of the pillars in the lobby, Batman was beginning to panic. He swallowed roughly, trying to coax some moisture into his dry throat. His stomach, perhaps from the tension, perhaps just as an afterthought of M'gann's cooking, had begun once again to buck. _I need to leave. Now._ Batman peeked from behind his pillar, trying to gauge the location of the patrolling thugs and make his exit. Instead, he froze, the metallic taste of fear filling his mouth.

Robin had just rounded the corner, sticking close behind the squad of guards as they patrolled. He angled away from the men, making for the shadows behind a pillar. He'd almost made it when a sound burst out behind him. A very familiar sound.

"Hic!"

Batman, his hand clamped over his mouth, watched the scene unfold in front of him. As if in slow motion, he saw Robin and the men in front of him freeze. Robin straightened from his crouch and lunged towards the men as they turned, but there was too much ground to cover.

"Robin, No!" Batman bellowed, as the sound of gunshots split the room. Robin's head snapped back impossibly far, jerking him back. If it hadn't been for the spray of blood, it would have been funny, like the time a younger Richard had snatched a treat from Alfred's serving tray before a party, only to be halted when the vigilant butler had grabbed the fleeing boys hair.

A second bullet tore into Robin's fragile body. The boy's limp frame seemed to wrap around around the bullet, as if he were trying to catch it. The illusion was ruined though when the merciless lead punched through the boy's thin frame and continued on its journey, trailing a much larger, darker spray of blood.

A third shot boomed out, catching the collapsing boy in the hip and ripping his legs out from under him. Arms outstretched, Batman watched, helplessly, as what was left of Robin's small body smacked wetly against the floor.

 _No! No. Nonononono. No._ Batman stood frozen in shock. Around him men screamed and ran, but in the shadows of his mind he saw only stillness, heard only silence. Robin, Richard, lay motionless on the tile floor. The bright red of his uniform gave way to the darker red seeping from underneath it. Half upturned, the sightless white lenses of his mask bored into Batman. Batman floundered in the depths of his mind, trying to find some way, any way that Robin could still be alive. His heart broke, and Batman sank to his knees, still staring at the still form on the floor.

"Batman! Batman!" The shrill scream finally cut through the silence in Batman's head, and he looked up from the fallen boy. M'gann was screaming at him, both mentally and through the coms. He raised his hand to the mic in his cowl to answer, and realized for the first time that it was dripping with blood. Robin's blood. It was all over him. Now that he was aware of it, he realized that he could feel it running down his face, and seeping into his collar. The coppery scent of blood filled his nose, and he could taste the blood that had entered his mouth when he screamed to the boy. It was lighter, somehow, than the taste of his own blood. Not as bitter. That just made it all the more terrible though, as his senses were overwhelmed with Robin's blood, still warm, hammering home the completeness of his failure.

"BATMAN!" This time it was Kaldur'ahm screaming at him, and not on the coms, but from across the room. Looking around, Batman realized that barely five seconds had passed, though they had seemed an eternity. Hostages ran everywhere, trying to escape, and were being gunned down relentlessly by the hired thugs. Other thugs had tackled Kaldur when he tried to intervene, and he was currently struggling to throw them off and regain his feet.

Directly in front of him, leveling their guns at him, were six of Scarface's hired goons, the original three that had gunned down his sidekick, and three others who had heard the shots and come running. Batman locked eyes, with one of the men, the first to have pulled the trigger. Blind, unfeeling rage flooded through Batman, and he leapt at the men, a primal roar tearing from his throat. The first two fell before he even reached them, two batarangs that he didn't remember drawing hammering the men into unconsciousness. Then he was in the middle of the men, striking out at them with fists and feet and elbows, seeing nothing but the red haze that had filled his vision.

Catwoman huddled in the end of the hallway as bullets chewed away at the walls. She had taken a cue from watching Robin, and had been following the second group of criminals down the hallway when gunshots had broken out. She originally retreated, but when she heard Batman's pained yell, she turned again and sprinted to the end of the hallway. Pandemonium reigned in the main lobby, with gunshots and screams, and at her feet, Robin lay crumpled on the ground. Catwoman backpedaled into the hallway before she was seen, and crouched there. A pained roar rose above the general hubbub, and she looked up in time to see Batman charging a group of men, his cape and bloodstained features making him look like an avenging demon.

The fight didn't last long. There were just too many men, and Batman and the other boy were soon overwhelmed. The mercenaries quickly cleared the room after that, dragging the unconscious men with them. Dead bodies of civilians littered the room, and more than one of the mercenaries seemed to have used the confusion to settle a few private squabbles as well. Two of the mercenaries remained in the room, splashing something from heavy canisters all over the room. "We have what we need, lets get out of here!" one of the men said to the other. Thumbing open a lighter, the second man nodded, then tossed it into a puddle as the two men ran from the room. Flames shot up and quickly began consuming the evidence left in the room.

Deciding that she wasn't going to get a better chance to escape, Catwoman turned to leave. A soft moan behind her made her look back. Her gaze fell on the young boy in the red and black costume, the source of the noise. Well then. The Bat had been taken from her, and so had her statue. But just maybe she could still settle a score tonight. A dangerous look in her eyes, Catwoman pounced on the fallen Robin and dragged him, unseen, into the shadows.

 **...**

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hi guys! Thanks for reading! Just some quick things here I need to point out. First is timing- This story takes place later on during season one of the show, after Artemis and Connor are introduced but before Zattanna officially joins up with the team. The second one is Catwoman. She doesn't actually appear in YJ at all, but she is interwoven throughout the entire DC universe and seems to pop up everywhere Batman does, so I think she fits. She also is different, with different attitudes, costumes, and back stories every time she appears, so I'm not really following any set storyline with her, I'm kind of bringing several elements in and molding her into what I need for the story. With that being said, I do need to point out that I don't own Catwoman or any of the other characters appearing in this story, they all belong to DC, etc.**

 **Special shout out to Luxen T for all of her help, and to Mireilles3 for giving me my first review! You both are awesome and really encouraging!**


	2. The Little Things

**Chapter 2: The Little Things**

The first thing Dick Grayson noticed was the smell. It was a nice sort of smell, clean and warm. It was sweet, with a hint of coconut, and something herbal. Dick furrowed his brow, trying to concentrate. The last thing he remembered was... was... Frustration played across his features. His memories were jumbled, and he couldn't concentrate. But he knew that the smell of coconut didn't make sense. The second thing Dick noticed was the warmth. Something was touching him, something warm. It was pleasant, the warmth. Whatever it was was soft, too. It rested against the side of his face, just lightly brushing his cheek as he breathed. _That must be where the smell is coming from,_ he reasoned. He tried to roll towards it, to get a little closer to the warmth radiating against his side, but something heavy was draped across his bare chest, preventing him. Panic began to build in his throat- he hated anything restraining him. Dick flexed his shoulders, preparing to throw off whatever held him down.

Pain blossomed throughout his body, ripping a gasp from his lungs as his one good eye flew open. For a moment all he registered was the agonizing pain, then his lungs once again filled with air and he relaxed, sinking back again as the flash of pain subsided to a deep ache. _Breathe, just breathe,_ he told himself, shutting his eye again. A few breaths later, he once again opened an eye, slowly this time. Something was covering the other one, and he couldn't open it. He frowned, and the resulting twinge of pain quickly informed him that whatever it was didn't like to be moved.

 _Well, this is definitely not turbing. Time for a systems check- Feet?_ He wiggled his toes. _Ow. Check. Fingers?_ He made a fist with both hands. _Seem to be working. Arms?_ His left arm appeared to be tied to his chest, but when he moved his right it pressed lightly against something soft. Distracted, Dick looked over to see what exactly was next to him, and quickly forgot everything else.

Eventually, Dick realized he was staring, and he peeled his eyes away from the barely clothed woman lying next to him. His eyes came to rest (well, the working one did anyway) on a large gray cat who crouched, regarding him with baleful eyes, on a shabby dresser behind the woman. As he watched, another cat leapt lightly down beside it, this one smaller and tawny in color. Pieces began to click in Dick's head. Art museum. Pointy ears on the roof. Statue of an ancient Egyptian cat-god. A quick glance around the room confirmed his suspicions- he counted five other cats in the small bedroom; one on the windowsill, one on the overstuffed bookshelf, and the others on the floor. The smallest one, barely more than a kitten, was playing with the end of a bullwhip carelessly discarded at the foot of the bed. The other six were staring at him intently. A black and white tom hopped onto the bed and stepped lightly across the comforter towards him. It stared him down, coming to a halt directly in front of his face. Pain shot through his chest when the cat stepped on his bandaged shoulder, choking off the air in his throat, but the bared claws and angry glare warned him not to make a sound.

The cat looked protectively over at the young woman, its features softening, then it swung back to glare at the injured boy. Sighing Dick dropped his head back on the pillow. This was going to be a long wait. The cat began nosing at the arm draped across his chest, coaxing the sleeping woman to slide it down so that it rested against his muscular abdomen instead. Purring contentedly, the cat curled up on his chest and fell asleep.

…...

Dick was bored. One could only find amusement in staring at a ceiling for so long, even if the ceiling did have several sections of peeling paint that looked like various cartoon animals. He had tried to move several times over the last few hours, but each time had been stopped, either by a hiss from one of the ever present cats, or by his own hiss of pain.

Eventually Selena Kyle woke up. She was a young woman, in her mid twenties, with mussy black hair, high cheek bones, and a slender build. She'd lost weight since Dick had seen her last, but it suited her. She wasn't much larger than Dick was, but if she were standing her long legs would give her a slight advantage in height.

"Richard! You're awake!" she exclaimed, when she saw his eye was open. She quickly sat up on the bed and shooed the cats away, causing her thin camisole to flutter distractingly. It brushed against his face as she leaned over to put a hand to his forehead.

"I have to say Selena, I'd always pictured you as more of a panther than a cougar," Dick quipped.

Selena laughed, a light, joyful sound, and she quickly cast around for a pair of pants and a long sweater and pulled them on.

"Sorry, little bird. It's been touch and go trying to get your fever to break, and well you are taking up the only bed." She winked at him before gathering up the supplies she'd dropped when exhaustion had overtaken her. Robin chuckled, then pushed back the blanket for a better look at his bandage-wrapped torso.

"How bad is it?"

Selena grew serious. "It's bad. Firing from the hip looks good in the movies, but it isn't very effective. The only reason you're still alive is because the man who shot you didn't know how to do it properly. He grazed the side of your head, which is why you have a bandage there, but I don't think it did any permanent damage. The more serious wounds are in your chest and hip. I had to cut the bullet out of your leg, it didn't hit anything vital but it lodged itself next to the bone. You won't be leaping off rooftops any time soon. You also have some broken ribs, but the bullet passed cleanly out your back, so that one was a little easier. Luckily it didn't rupture anything important, it was too close to your shoulder. It took me all night to get the bleeding to stop, though, and most of the next day to finish patching you up."

"Wait," Dick cut her off. "How long have I been out?"

"Almost four days, little bird. Your fever broke some time early this morning."

 _Four days. That's impossible._ "Why didn't Bruce take me back to the manor? Was I so bad that I couldn't be moved?"

Selena sat back down on the bed, legs folded under her. Very quietly, she told him, "Bruce doesn't know you're here, Dick." She stared at his hand, refusing to meet his gaze.

"What do you mean?" A note of panic entered his voice. "Of course he does, he always knows where I am. In fact, how did I get here in the first place? Why didn't he take me to Alfred, or back to the medical bay?"

"They took him, Dick. After you were shot. They dragged him away when they left, and the other boy you were with. I only got you away because they thought you were dead."

… _..._

Scene: Bialya, nightfall, three days earlier.

"What the hell, Conner!" Black Canary snapped at the young hero next to her. She and Conner were strapped in behind Green Lantern and Superman in the cockpit of the Javelin. Lacking another chair in the tight quarters, Martian Manhunter had eleceted to hover behind them. He looked rather impressive, Conner thought, sitting cross legged in the air with his cape hanging down beneath him, eyes closed, like a meditating siddha. Unfortunately, the martian's peaceful demeanor was not shared by the rest of the crew.

"Sorry," Conner mumbled, clasping his hands together to stop his fingers from drumming. He was bored. For the last several hours, the Javelin had been forced into a holding pattern high above the desert floor. Green Lantern and Superman were attempting to pierce through the storm below, but whatever magic had caused it was also interfering with the instruments in the Javelin, and they were unable to make anything out.

Superman smirked as the silence was broken a moment later by the sound of fingers drumming on the arm rest behind him. _Mom used to yell at me for that all the time. Guess it must run in the family._ The thought startled him- when had he started thinking of Conner as family? He shut his eyes for a second before returning to his task at hand.

"Superman," GL spoke up finally, "This is getting us nowhere. The storm is either too thick or too magical. Either way, we're not going to see through it with the Javelin. Why don't we land and stretch our legs a bit?"

Superman sighed. "I was thinking the same thing GL. Looks like we'll have to go in on foot for this one."

"It's too bad Batman isn't here," Conner spoke up. "Robin always has some kind of gadget he and Batman cooked up..." He trailed off as he noticed the stiffened set of Superman's shoulders.

Canary turned to look at Conner. "Speaking of Batman, why isn't he here? It wasn't until just before you zeta'd in that we even knew you were coming." Conner just shrugged.

Green Lantern chuckled. "He probably wanted to stick with the kids, because he can still scare them into not laughing at him."

In the back, J'onn cracked a smile. "I did warn him not to eat so many." The mood lightened as the rest of them laughed. At the controls, Green Lantern turned away from the storm and began looking for a place to land. They had just enough time to hear him yelp in surprise before the storm, which had been dark and menacing beneath them, rose up like a fist and crashed into the ship. Suddenly everything was dark, the blinding sandstorm blotting out the sun. The Javelin shuddered and rolled, falling into an uncontrollable spin as it raced towards the ground. The whirling sand tore at the ship, screeching metal adding to the screams from inside as the ship tore apart in the wind. Multiple explosions rocked the air as the sand ripped open fuel tanks and weapons systems.

Off in the distance, Superman spotted a green glow. Forcing his way through the wind and sand, he found Green Lantern and J'onn encased in a shell coming from GL's ring. Superman grabbed hold of it, and Green Lantern was just forming a hole to pull him in, when the three of them crashed to the ground.

… _..._

Scene: Run down apartment on Gotham's East side.

Robin limped slowly back and forth across the one room apartment. Every step made Selena wince, but he seemed not to be affected by the pain. Robin had been extremely agitated when she told him that Batman was missing, and had insisted on getting out of bed. She had tried to refuse, but the glare he had given her had been so like Batman's that she gave in. _He's so young,_ she thought, _but already I see what Bruce is doing to him. It's only been a year, and already I barely recognize the Richard I used to know. He's too serious, too much like Batman. Dick was so full of light and joy, and Bruce is going to take it all away from him if this keeps going._ She'd seen a glimpse of the innocent boy just once since he had woken. His uniform had been ruined in the fight, and she had had to cut away what was left of it to treat his wounds. As she helped him struggle into the gym shorts and too-large t-shirt she had bought for him, he'd realized what that meant and had blushed, refusing to look at her until after he was dressed. _But even that he took stoically, so much more like Batman than like Bruce._ Selena knew that Bruce had been finding it harder and harder to take the cowl off, and return to every day life. But it hurt her to see that he was doing it to Robin, too.

With a sigh, Dick stopped pacing and turned to face Selena. Seeing the look of defeat on his face, she uncurled herself from the small sofa, patted the seat next to her. "Finished brooding, little bird?" She smiled at him, not quite hiding the concern in her eyes.

"Sorry," Robin relied sheepishly. The tension went out of his shoulders and he relaxed a bit, looking more like his old self.

"That's better." Selena's smile grew a little wider. "I'm not used to seeing you be so serious. Poor Alfred must be terribly lonely, if you and Bruce are getting to be so alike."

Robin ran a troubled hand through his hair. "Something like that, I guess. Did you get in touch with Alfred at all? He's probably worried sick."

"I don't think that's a good idea, Dick. Whoever took Bruce, we have to assume that they know by now who he is. Involving Alfred will only put him in more danger. That's why I kept you here. I didn't want to risk anyone else getting hurt."

"Yeah, you're right. I thought of that too." Dick slumped down in the seat next to her. "So why are you here? When you left last year, you said you weren't ever coming back."

Selena laughed and waved a hand in a vague gesture. "Oh, you know how it is. Familiar haunts, and all that. I made a go of living straight, but it was so booooring." She grinned at him. "I needed a little excitement in my life."

"Happy to oblige." Dick grinned, despite himself. Selena laughed again. "So where do we stand? I know that you and Bruce didn't part on the best of terms." Selena quirked an eyebrow at his understatement, the last time she had seen Bruce she'd promised to rip his heart out and feed it to her cats. She and Bruce had been dating for close to two years, and she hadn't taken it well when he dumped her in favor of the cowl. "But then," Dick continued, "I also notice that I'm still breathing, and there doesn't seem to be an expensive statue hiding out anywhere near by."

Selena laughed again. _How does he do that_ , she wondered. Even when bringing up bad memories, Dick had the ability to make people laugh. _He's going to break some hearts when he gets older, that's for sure._ Out loud, she replied, "Hmm... well, you're right, I don't have a fancy new statue to decorate with. One of those nasty thugs swiped it while I was distracted. But now that you're here... well, it seems we both want something they have." Her eye's twinkled as she struggled to keep a straight face.

Dick relaxed, the tension he'd been holding in evaporating. An honest-to-goodness Richard smile graced his face, with no trace of the Batman's sternness left, and he wrapped her in a one-armed hug. "Thanks, Selena. It looks like I'm going to need new costume though."

Pressed against his chest, Selena grinned evilly. "Why Richard, I thought you'd never ask. Tell me, how do you feel about latex?"

…...

Scene: Mount Justice, 3 days later.

Wally was getting on Artemis's nerves. Again. "Wally, SIT DOWN!" She yelled at him for what felt like the millionth time. It had been a week since they had arrived at the mountain to find it deserted. M'gann and Conner were both missing, along with the bioship. Repeated attempts to contact Batman, the Leauge, and their other team mates had all been in vain. At first, they had just been bored, deciding the team must have just been called out on an emergency mission. But if that was the case, why weren't they back? If it was a mission involving the entire team and the League, why hadn't they been called in? As the hours turned into days, Artemis's fears had grown more pronounced, and Wally's theories had grown wilder.

Neither of them had slept the previous night, and now Wally was zipping back and forth across the room, wearing a hole in the carpet with his accelerated pacing. He stopped, glared at her, and went back to pacing.

With a groan, Artemis plopped her head down on the counter and covered it with her arms. The two of them had fought several times in the last couple days, and after the last one Wally had decided to stop talking to her all together. Suddenly, Wally grabbed her and the room turned into a blur, everything seeming to slide together as he accelerated out of the room. "Waaaallllaayyyyy!" She screamed, her voice distorted by the air rushing by. They came to a sudden stop, her body slamming into his. Disgusted and annoyed, she shoved him away before he could make one of his ridiculous comments. Caught off guard, Wally lost his balance and sprawled on the floor. Artemis took a deep breath, preparing to launch into another tirade, when a bright light filled the room and she became aware of a computerized voice cutting through the room.

" _-cognized, Robin, B01. Recognized, Catwoman, A14"_

"Robin!" Artemis shrieked in relief, rushing towards the rapidly coalescing figure in the zeta tube. She stopped short, however, when the black clad figure in the tube sauntered into the room. _That's not Robi- Whoa._ Glistening black material clung to the young man's body, the broad muscles of his chest clearly outlined, while a high collar and a glossy domino mask, sitting high on his cheekbones, contrasted his lightly tanned skin. Abs rippling under the suit, he leaned back against the curved opening of the tube, propping a foot on the wall to keep him in place, and crossing his thin but muscular arms. Messy black hair hung over his eyes, lending him a cocky, mysterious air.

"Robin?" She asked hesitantly. The dark clad figure in front her her grinned, in a way that made her face hot and her knees weak. "Hey Artemis," Robin answered, his voice slow and deep, sending wild thoughts racing through her head. "Miss me?"

… **...**

 **A/N: Sorry guys! I meant to update this sooner, but the nasty work gremlins were holding me hostage. I need your opinion on something- would you rather have short updates but have them more often, or longer updates but less frequently? Send me a PM or post a review letting me know what you think, and how you like the story so far! :)**

 **~AllGreeekToMe**


	3. All The World's a Stage

**Chapter 3: All the World's a Stage**

 _Batman smiled as he walked quietly through the halls of Wayne Manor, carrying the sleeping boy. His little black domino mask hung crooked on his face, but even asleep the boy was smiling. Batman had taken him out on patrol tonight, and the little boy had loved it so much they had stayed out far past his bedtime._

 _Robin had been so exhausted, he'd fallen asleep before they even made it back to the cave. As Batman unfastened the boys cape and tucked him into bed, Robin mumbled something, coming half awake. Batman reached out and smoothed the boy's hair, shushing him gently. Groggily, Robin forced his eyes open and grabbed Batman's hand._

" _The monster, Batman. There's a monster under the bed," he slurred, eyes closing again._

 _Batman chuckled. "You're home now, Dick. There aren't any monsters here."_

" _Will you check for me?"_

 _Squeezing the boys hand gently, Batman crouched down to look under the bed. "See? Nothing he-"He stopped. There, staring back at him with wide, frightened eyes, was a second Robin. "Batman!" the second Robin whispered urgently, "There's someone in my bed!"_

 _Batman stumbled backwards in shock, but the Robin in the bed still had hold of his hand. Looking at the bed again, he realized that this wasn't the same Robin from a moment ago. This one was older, a teenager. Sightless eyes stared at him, a bullet hole directly between them. Blood pooled underneath the boy's body, staining the sheets and running onto the floor. Batman wrenched his arm away and leapt back from the boy, but the blood kept coming. It crept across the floor as Robin sat up in bed, a wild grin on his face. Batman could feel the blood as it seeped through his armor, its sticky wetness climbing his body. He scrabbled at his suit, trying to wipe off the blood, but it only spread faster. Turning away, Batman tried to run, but he fell to the floor instead. Blood forced its way into his mouth and nose, the cloying metallic taste choking him. Looking up from the floor, Batman could see Robin leering down at him. As the blood chocked him into darkness, the last thing he heard was Robin's mocking cackle._

 _..._

Batman woke with a gasp, to find cold stone pressing against his face. He didn't scream, too many years and too many nightmares had taught him to keep silent. Instead, he drew a single deep, shuddering breath, and collected himself.

Forcing his cramped muscles to work, he pushed himself off the floor and into a sitting position. Bruises covered his body, but he seemed otherwise uninjured. For a moment his head swam, a gift from the man who had hammered him into unconsciousness, no doubt, but it cleared quickly.

Batman found himself sitting in a bare, high-ceilinged room that was just a little too small to be comfortable. The entire room was made of the same dingy brown stone, the only exception being the steel door set into the far wall. A small grate topped the door, closed from the outside.

 _Arkham._ Batman shuddered. _One nightmare right into another._ He leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes, the cool stone helping the pain in his head.

 _What now, Batman? What's the plan? Step one: Take stock of the situation. Ok. Location- Arkham Asylum. Cell. I can hear the hum of air conditioning, but there is no window, and I don't hear any voices nearby. Probably a lower cell then._ Batman pulled up a mental map of Arkham, reviewing the layout in his head. _East side, probably. Closer to the boiler room, farther from the stairs. Should be an elevator in the north-west corner, down the hallway then a quick left. Difficulty of Egress- easy, once I get out of this cell._

 _Step two: How do I get out. Break the door? Unlikely. Pick the lock? Not unless I can get that grate open to reach it. Blow it apart?_ He reached down and thumbed the canister on his belt. _Huh. Still have explosives. Biometrics in the belt must be working. What about the rest?_ Batman ran a hand across his face, surreptitiously checking the contact points for the electronic booby-trap in his cowl. _Undisturbed. Interesting. Either they already know who I am, or they aren't concerned with it. Cape is still attached, circuitry appears operational._ A quick check revealed the rest of his equipment was also present. _So, they didn't even try to take anything. Not even a souvenir. Apparently, they're not expecting to keep me here. Why?_

 _..._

"So, uh, you really think this will work, boss?"

Scarface rolled his eyes. "Of course, dummy! Would I be wasting my time here if I didn't?" The second thug in the room slapped the one who had spoken on the back of the head.

"Yeah, idjit. Why done you jus' leave ta thinken to da boss?" He grinned hopefully at Scarface and Whesker. Scarface rolled his eyes again and turned back to the television screen in front of them.

"Thanks to the equipment we stole, when Batman escapes the cell, he'll still be trapped in a digitally recreated world. And then Batman will be working for us! HAHAHAHAHA!"

The two thugs shuddered as Scarface's gravelly laughter rang out. They'd been with him long enough to know that laughter usually meant something bad.

"I don't get it boss." The smaller thug piped up again. "How are we going to get Batman to work for us? Why don't we just kill him now and be done with it?"

Scarface sighed. "Look. Batman is in this computer thing right? We can make anything we want and put it in there, right? So lets say I want to break in to some high security vault over at Gotham National. How would you do it?"

"I don't know boss, the security there is really tight. It would take an army to break in there."

"Wrong! It wouldn't take an army, it would take a Batman!"

The thug scratched his stubbled chin for a minute, then it dawned on him. "Oh that, that's good! That's real good! So what your saying is we take this little scanner thing and we scan the bank, and then we make Batman break into it on the computer, and we copy what he does out here!"

Scarface smiled maliciously. "Now you're getting' it!"

"Uh, but boss," the deep voice of the heavier thug cutting in. "How are we gonna get da Batman to break in der for us?" This time it was the smaller thugs turn to slap his partner.

"Duh, we put somethin' he wants in there! It's a computer, we can put whatever we want in the vault. That's why the boss made us bring the kids along!"

"That's right. Now shuddup so I can watch!" The two men shrank back under Scarface's command.

The two thugs, Scarface, and Arnold Wesker were all crammed in a dark room filed with computer equipment. Thick tangled of cable wrapped around the folding chairs the four had pulled up in front of a bank of small flat screen monitors. Only one of them was active at the moment, showing a top down view of Batman in his cell. On the back wall of the room stood three slick life support pods, each one housing a sedated hero. Wires and sensors crisscrossed the room, connecting each of them to the virtual simulation in the computer.

"What are you thinking, Batman?" Scarface mumbled to himself after a few moments of inactivity. "What are you thinking?"

 _..._

Batman had a splitting headache. Several hours had passed since he had woken in the Arkham cell, but Batman remained motionless against the wall, staring at the door across the room. There was something about the room that made his head hurt. He couldn't pick it out exactly, but something was off.

 _It's too straight,_ he finally decided. _The lines are too perfect, too precise._ His gaze shifted uneasily around the room. _There. And there. It's too smooth._

His belt wasn't right either. He'd spent the last hour examining it. It looked exactly like he remembered, it functioned exactly the way it should have, it held everything he remembered packing for the last excursion. But when he closed his eyes, he just _knew_ that is wasn't his belt.

 _It's the texture. Too many edges. I can't see them with my eyes, but I can feel them. It's all angular, like its made of tiny pieces fitted together._ He ran his fingers over it again lightly. _There._ He looked down at his belt. His hand rested on the lip of one of the pellet dispensers. A grim smile touched his face as he examined where his hand met the belt. His senses told him his finger was resting on the belt, balanced atop one of the edges he could feel but not see. But his eyes told him that there was a tiny sliver of empty space between them.

 _Polygons._ His mind clicked. _Texture shaded polygons. Just like a computer. Edge detection that stretches just slightly beyond the shape you can see._

An angry glare on his face, Batman rolled smoothly to his feet and thumbed his belt. A trio of explosive pellets fell into his hand, and he flung them at the door. It shattered and fell away. Batman strode to gaping hole and looked out. The floor extended away from the hole about ten feet, then dropped off into nothingness. Batman gazed out into a bottomless void, a black and blue grid stretching away forever in every direction.

 _..._

Gotham Gazette July 17

 **Art Exhibit Becomes Firey Trap**

The opening of the new Digital Art and Science exhibit at Gotham's Euller Museum came to a tragic close last night. Eye witnesses from the scene report a gang of thieves, led by the criminal mastermind Ventriloquist, infiltrated the museum's security staff and terrorized the grand opening. Police continue to investigate the scene, but preliminary reports indicate heavy casualties among the invited guests. Investigation of the crime is hampered by the fact that the criminals attempted to cover their tracks by torching the building. Luckily, Gotham FD had a tanker in the area and the blaze was confined to the one exhibit. Sources at the Museum tell us that they plan to re-open as soon as possible, and that they are cooperating fully with the investigation. Police Chief Ellen Yin declined to comment on the alleged presence of the Batman, but an anonymous source within the police department said the caped vigilante does not appear to have been involved.

 _..._

Gotham Gazette July 19

 **Where is Bruce Wayne?**

Bruce Wayne once again shocked the financial world yesterday, this time by failing to arrive at a prestigious meeting to formalize Wayne Industries takeover of Telecast Inc. CEO Pat Standish, who made headlines only months ago when his small start up revolutionized phone service here in Gotham. The meeting, which was scheduled for four o'clock yesterday afternoon, was meant to finalize the merger of Wayne Industries computer science division with the quickly growing Telecast Network. Instead, the deal is on hold once again as the CEO complains about Mr. Wayne's dismissive behavior. Wayne could not be reached for comment at the time of publication.

 _..._

Gotham Gazette July 24

 **Stunning Heist leaves Police Baffled**

Police swarmed Gotham National Bank early this morning after the Bank President called to report a robbery. Thieves were somehow able to break into the bank's high security vault, emptying it and making off with $3.2 million in cash, as well as the contents of several safety deposit boxes. Police Commissioner Gordon had this to say in a press conference shortly after:

"The heist at Gotham National is still under investigation. The level of sophistication the thieves displayed in unlike anything we've ever dealt with before. However, the citizens of Gotham should not be alarmed. No one was hurt during this robbery, and the criminals motive seemed to be entirely focused on profit, not on violence."

Gordon went on to say that several promising leads have been found, and that the Bank should be open for regular business tomorrow. Anyone with information is urged to call Gotham PD at 212-479-7990.

 _..._

Gotham Gazette July 28

 **The Search for Wayne**

Readers of the Gotham Gazette have lately been asking themselves one question- Where is Bruce Wayne? It's unusual for the favorite son of Gotham to remain absent from the public eye for long, but discerning readers report that it has been nearly two weeks since his last public appearance. Where is the billionaire hiding these days? The Gotham Gazette, and our loyal readers, want to know.

Over a sumptuous luncheon provided by Wayne Manor, this author learned that the board of directors has been asking the same question. Wayne's personal attendant, Alfred Pennyworth, made an appearance at the meeting, apologizing for Mr. Wayne's absence. According to Pennyworth, Mr. Wayne was called out of the country by an urgent business matter. The board was surprised about this, as Bruce had mentioned nothing to them about a trip, but one source did say that Bruce likes to play things close to the chest, especially when it involved new technologies. The board declined to comment further, but this author, and the rest of Gotham, look forward to his return with excitement. What exciting advance do you have for us this time, Mr. Wayne?

 _..._

Gotham Gazette August 2

 **Crime on the Rise, Batman Strangely Absent.**

Residents of Gotham have always been comforted by the familiar glow of the Bat Symbol floating over the harbor. Since James Gordon was promoted to Commissioner, the department has taken up a strong alliance with the masked vigilante, and while most of us have never seen the caped crusader in person, we have all slept better at night knowing he was out there watching over us.

But lately, the comforting symbol of our protector has been absent from the night sky. Commissioner Gordon refused to comment when we approached him, but sources on the street say that Batman hasn't been seen in several weeks. Whether or not these rumors are true, there has definitely been a spike in crime here in Gotham. In addition to the regular villains plaguing out streets, a rash of sophisticated crimes has broken out in the wealthier sections of Gotham. These daring heists, according to an anonymous source, all bear the marks of being committed by the same group of thieves. It is still unclear who these thieves are, but the level of sophistication has led some to question if maybe the Batman, so long a symbol of hope for this city, has moved on to a more lucrative relationship with crime.

 _..._

Gotham Gazette August 8

 **String of Violent Crimes Terrorizes Gotham**

Criminals have become exceedingly aggressive in the last week. Rumors of Batman's absence seem to have inspired a flood of petty criminals to return to the streets. Anonymous sources within Gotham PD have confirmed that Batman has not made an appearance in weeks, and the attempts to reach out to him have gone unanswered. At the same time, a new gang has staked their turf in Gotham. Gang wars have broken out all across the lower half of the city as each tries to carve out its own set of territory in the new Bat-free zones.

Readers are urged to stay away from known gang hotspots, and police have issued a warning telling citizens to stay off the street after dark unless absolutely necessary. This new wave of crime has left all of Gotham wondering, where is the Batman?

 _..._

 **Author's Note:**

Woohooo! Finally got this chapter written! I have to say, Batman is definitely the hardest character I've ever tried to write. Thanks for sticking with me! Leave a review and let me know what you think of the story so far. From here on out the action should pick up a little, and updates should roll a little smoother. (I know, I know, I just jinxed myself by saying it. Oh well.) Read, Review, you know the drill!

~AllGreeekToMe


	4. All the Men are Just Players

**Chapter 4: All the Men are Just Players**

Scene: Mount Justice, just prior to Robin's arrival.

Wally was busily pacing back and forth across the kitchen, lost in thought. _Do I or don't I, do I or don't I? She needs to know. She deserves to know. She's a part of the team too._

(Turn. Walk.) _But by that logic, so is everyone else. But everyone else isn't here right now. The day Robin told me his identity, he made me swear to never reveal it._

(Turn. Walk.) _But if I don't reveal it, Artemis will just think I'm being stupid again. I hate when she thinks that. I know my theories were ridiculous._

(Turn. Walk.) _They were supposed to be ridiculous! She was supposed to laugh! Robin would have laughed!_

(Turn. Walk.) _Right, Robin. Darn rabbit trail. Focus Wally, focus!_

(Turn. Walk.) _Robin isn't answering. Neither is Kaldur._

(Turn. Walk.) _Or Megan. Not too surprising there._

(Turn. Walk.) _Megan hasn't paid attention to anyone_

(Turn. Walk.) _since_ _she and Conner became_

(Turn. Walk.) _a thing. Lucky jerk._

(Turn. Walk.) _Now the news says_

(Turn. Walk.) _Bruce is missing._

(Turn. Walk.) _That means_

(Turn. Walk.) _that they're_

(Turn. Walk.) _not just_

(Turn. Walk.) _ignoring_

(Turn. Walk.) _us, they're_

(Turn. Walk.) _definitely_

(Turn. Walk.) _involved in_

(Turn. Walk.) _something._

(Turn. Walk.) _But_

(Turn. Walk.) _what_

(Turn. Walk.) _wou-_

(Turn. Walk.) _ld they_

(Turn. Walk.) _be in-_

(Turn. Walk.) _volv-_

(Turn. Walk.) _ed in_

(Turn. Walk.) _wit-_

"Wally, SIT DOWN!" Artemis thundered, interrupting his train of thought.

Wally turned and glared at Artemis. _Sit down? SIT DOWN? Who does she think she is? All week, it's been Wally do this, Wally stop that. What does it take to make her happy? All she does is complain._

He resumed his pacing, making sure to breeze even closer to Artemis, just to annoy her. It must have worked, because she thunked her head down on the table and covered it with her arms. _Oops. Way to go Wally, that will win her over. But seriously, a whole week to ourselves, just her, me and the beach, and what do I have to show for it? We're supposed to be a team, and she won't even look at me. Face it Wally, you're nothing without your wing-man. Grayson, where are you?_

As if in answer, the Zeta tubes, which had lain dormant all week, began to hum. Surprised, Wally paused for an instant, then a wide smile crossed his features. Time seemed to slow as he embraced the speed force, accelerating across the room in a blink. With a huge grin of relief on his face, Wally slid Artemis's chair back from the table and scooped her into his arms, and ran from the room. Wally navigated through the halls with ease, jumped a staircase, and was skidding to a stop by the zeta tubes before he realized Artemis was screaming. Oops.He set her down gently, and braced himself to stop her from crashing to the floor. _Well this is cozy,_ he thought as their momentum slammed them together. _Should have tried this earlier!_ Then the unhappy girl shoved hard at his ribcage, knocking the wind out of him and knocking him off balance.

" _Rec_ _ognized, Robin, B01."_

 _Oh great..._ Wally thought as he hit the floor. _Not here when I need him, but he shows up to see Artemis take me out. Typical._

" _Recognized, Catwoman, A14"_

Wally froze, still on the floor. _Wait, Catwoman? Isn't she that thief Robin was going on about last year? The one that gave him and Batman so much trouble? What is she doing here?_

"Robin!" The relief in Artemis's cry was obvious. She charged towards the tube, leaving Wally forgotten on the floor.

With a sigh, Wally picked himself up. Nothing to do now but wait for the Zeta tube to finish. It seemed instantaneous to the rest of them, he knew, but for someone with his speed, the zeta tube was nothing more than a way to save calories. He smoothed his hair and brushed the dust from his uniform while he watched Robin's form coalesce in the tube.As he watched, Wally raised an eyebrow. Robin was clad from the neck down in a black skin tight suit of some flexible material. Muscles- _Where did they come from?_ -bunched and flowed impressively under the suit as Robin stepped away from the light and lounged against the entrance to the tube.

…...

Robin stepped heavily from the zeta tube, stumbling towards the entrance. It had taken a tricky bit of hacking to override the mountain's security system to allow Selena to travel by zeta tube, and he was exhausted.

"Robin!" Artemis's excited shriek caused him to look up, just in time to see the confused girl skid to a halt as she noticed his new outfit. He grimaced slightly in embarrassment. As grateful as he was to Selena for helping him with the new suit, he definitely wasn't comfortable wearing it yet. But then he saw the look on Artemis's face. _Mouth open. Pupils dilated. Tinge of pink in her cheeks. She's actually digging it. Holy latex suit, Batman!_ A slow grin stretched across his face, and he lounged against the curved entrance to the tube to take his weight off his injured hip. Selena had been needling Robin about his costume ever since he put it on for the first time, teasing him and instructing him on how to wear it "properly". What was the use, she had said, of having a stunning body if he wasn't going to use it? He wasn't sure how he felt about her instructions, but a slow smile spread across his face as he saw the effect they had on Artemis. "Hey Artemis," he asked, making his voice deep and seductive, "miss me?"

He held a straight face for almost a minute before it became too much, and a cackle escaped from his mouth. A moment later and Artemis had gotten over her awkwardness and rushed him, wrapping him in a tight hug.

…...

Scene- Biayalia, unmarked desert location.

Black Canary struggled to free herself from the remains of her seat. It took her a moment to defeat the seat belt, but after a moment of effort the battered plastic casing gave way, and the buckle was free to spill her unceremoniously into the sand. She came up spitting, and dragged her hair out of her face with a free hand. Moments before, the Javelin had torn itself apart under a furious onslaught of wind and sand, throwing the team into the ravening storm. The storm still raged above them, but here at ground level the wind subsided, taking the dangerous edge from the biting sand whipping about, and leaving them in a strange, dust colored twilight.

"Canary, are you alright?" Conner's voice was muffled by the cushion from her seat, and rather than answer, the older hero grabbed the remains of the chair and pulled it aside. Conner met her with a relieved grin, and held out a hand. She hauled him to his feet, and smiled as sand and wreckage from his own chair sloughed off him.

"I'm a little sore, but nothing that's going to slow me down. Thanks for the save."

Conner grunted, slightly embarrassed, and Black Canary was wise enough to drop the topic. The two of them spent a minute stretching out sore muscles and taking stock of their situation. To the right, an outcropping of rock gave them shelter from the wind. Just beyond it, the sky lightened considerably, showing where the eye of the storm was located. Behind them, the desert stretched away into the featureless murk.

"It looks like J'onn popped his locator, I'm going to go take a look for him," Conner said. Black Canary turned to see he had pulled a bag from the sand under their landing site, and he was pulling various bits of gear from it. A small tent, the type that pops up on its own, was already situated in the lee of the rocky outcrop, metal pitons anchoring it where Conner had driven them into the stone. Two flashing communicators sat on the rock next to him. "I don't think we're going to find a better campsite in this storm, you should stay here in case the others try to track us down. There's a first aid kit in the bag," he nudged it with his foot as he rose, "if you need it, and I brought a couple of these too." He handed her a wide, heavy scarf. "Robin's idea, after our last trip out here. The locals wear them to keep the sand out of their mouths." Grabbing one of the blinking communicators, Conner activated the tracking software and headed off into the sand while Black Canary wrapped the scarf around her head.

…...

Wally just stared, stunned. He had made the mistake early on of invading Artemis's personal space, and it hadn't taken long to discover she didn't appreciate it. Artemis must have been a lot more distraught than he'd realized. He'd always thought the same of Robin, too, but the way Robin had held Artemis was starting to raise doubts in Wally's mind.

Further thoughts on his team mates behavior were quickly driven away, though, by the black-clad bombshell who slipped up beside the two teens.

"Well well, little bird. Who's this?" The woman had a delicious voice, soft and husky, and full of amusement. Artemis jumped back from the embrace, her face scarlet. It was a good look for her, and Wally would have found it very distracting if he had been able to take his eyes off the newcomer.

Before Robin could answer, Artemis rounded on the newcomer, stepping between her and Robin. "Who are you?" She blustered. Without waiting for a response, she whirled on Robin, who was still leaning against the curved wall, although looking much less at ease.

"And where have you been?" She yelled. "Do you have any idea how worried we were? And Catwoman? THE Catwoman? What are you thinking, bringing her here?" Robin held his hands up defensively, stepping away from the wall. Artemis was clearly more interested in asking questions than in getting answers, but he managed to stall her long enough to get out a few words.

"Whoa, Artemis! Slow down! It's a long story. Yes, this is Catwoman. She's a friend. Really. Just take it easy for a minute."

Artemis crossed her arms across her chest, face screwed up in a huff. Wally knew she wasn't angry, this was just the back swing from her earlier outburst, emotions poring out until she got them under control. It didn't mean her questions weren't valid though. Before she started yelling again, Wally cut in."I think you'd better start explaining then, Rob. Artemis is right- where have you been, and why is she here? What's been going on?"

Robin huffed a sigh and straightened, taking a more businesslike stance. Artemis's glare wasn't nearly as pleasant as her unexpected hug had been, but at least Wally's intervention had bought him a brief respite from her shouting. "Ok," he said, turning so that he was addressing both of his team mates. "Like I said, this is Catwoman. She's a friend, and she'll be staying here for a bit until we figure things out. Cat," he said, gesturing, "these are my friends, Wally and Artemis."

"Indeed," Selena purred as she slid around Artemis to stand at Robin's side. She smirked as she reached him, snaking an arm around his waist. That got a surprised look from both of the teens in question, both because of the familiarity of the gesture, and because Robin didn't pull away. In fact, Robin seemed to relax slightly, leaning into the woman, and continued. "There was a mission, and it went bad. I couldn't get back to the mountain, and my comms were compromised so I couldn't call in. Cat and I go way back, so I crashed at her place until I was ready to make a move. The rest of it is too long to get into right now. Let's get some sleep, and I'll explain the rest of it in the morning. KF, do you have any clothes I can borrow? I don't have any spares at the moment."

"Um, sure," Wally replied, thoughts racing as the implications of what Robin had said flashed through his brain. "I think I've got some." Another line of thought struck him and he continued, grinning, "Does your friend there need a room? I could help her get settled while you change..." he trailed off, grinning.

"I appreciate the offer, but I think I'll be well taken care of," she said, glancing significantly aside at Robin, who was nestled comfortably against her shoulder. Wally felt his face heat up, and the woman chuckled. "I'll be sure to let you know if I need anything though," she said over her shoulder as Robin steered her away from the Zeta tubes and further into the mountain.

…...

"I don't think your friends like me much," Selena said as she helped Dick get the latex suit off. The clothes Wally had brought for him were a little big, but he found a serviceable pair of gym shorts and slipped into them. His shoulder hurt too much to try putting on a shirt, so he left it at that.

"They know your reputation," he laughed. "They'll come around."

"Mmm." Selena mused. "Well, I suppose I should have expected that. Your shoulder looks terrible, Richard. Lay down and let me look at it again."

Springs creaked as Robin lay back on the bed, a small moan of pain escaping him. Selena climbed up next to him and began pulling away the bandages on his shoulder and applying new antiseptic. It wasn't a pleasant job, and judging from the boy's cries and labored breathing, he found it even less pleasant.

…...

After a quick run to his room to grab clothes, and an awkward hand off to Robin and Catwoman in the room they were sharing, Wally found himself back in the kitchen with Artemis. Robin's room was just around the corner, and while they couldn't make out the low sound of conversation, they both heard Robin's laughter.

"So why do you think she's here?" Wally asked, sitting down beside Artemis. The blonde's face was angry, but Wally could see from the set of her shoulders that it was weariness and worry that were really eating at her. 

"I don't know." Artemis sighed. "She's a criminal, I know that much. But when I try to pull her up on the database here, there doesn't seem to be any file on her. I wish I knew what was going on, and why Robin isn't wearing his suit. I don't like it."

"Really?" Kid Flash needled. "Seemed to me like you were enjoying it." Artemis glared at him, and he smiled in response. "That's not what I meant," she snapped. "And besides, what about you? You've been drooling ever since she stepped out of the Zeta tube!"

They probably would have continued, ending up in a full blown argument, if they hadn't been interrupted by the creak of bed springs and a loud, feminine gasp from the nearby room. Low conversation rumbled for a minute, then more creaking and a low moan. One look at the others shocked face was enough to convince the two teens that their argument could wait, and they quickly disappeared in opposite directions.

…...

Artemis was woken early by the smell of fresh coffee, and she slipped quietly into the kitchen to find Catwoman, still in her catsuit but sans mask and whip, relaxing at the counter with a steaming mug. The woman was older than she thought, in her early twenties, but the worried lines and dark circles under her eyes made her exact age impossible to determine.

"Morning," Catwoman said when she noticed the archer come in. "Care to join me?" Artemis poured herself a cup of coffee and perched, tentatively, on a chair across from the woman. "I'm sorry," Catwoman began, "last night was a bit of a rough start. I guess I should introduce myself. I'm Selena." The woman extended her hand with a tired smile. Artemis hesitated a moment, then shook it briefly.

"Artemis." She looked around the room. "Where's Robin?"

"Still sleeping. You know how boys are." Selena shot a conspiratorial smile at the teenager. "I guess I can't complain though, he was awake most of the night. I've never met anyone with the amount of stamina that boy has."

Artemis just gawked at her in silence. After several awkward moments, Selena chuckled lightly. "It's ok, I know you have questions. Go ahead and ask." She smiled expectantly at Artemis.

Artemis, for her part, bristled a bit. _Not those questions, lady. Ugh!_ Artemis wrestled with her thoughts for a minute, steering them firmly away from Selena's hinting. Selena's knowing smile was almost, but not quite, hidden in her mug as she took a sip of coffee and waited for Artemis to speak. As she set the cup down, Artemis folded her arms across her chest and started asking questions in a detached, businesslike manner. "Ok, Selena. Who are you, really? And how do you know Robin?"

"Well, I already told you that part. My name is Selena Kyle. I've know Ri-" she caught herself, unsure of how much the girl in front of her knew. Artemis quirked an eyebrow at her near slip, but didn't comment. "I've known Robin for quite a while now, and I've known the Batman even longer. He and I don't always see eye to eye, but-" she smiled coyly- "Robin and I have always gotten on pretty well."

Artemis stared awkwardly into her coffee as Selena neatly derailed her train of thought again. "Uh, yes. That part I figured out for myself." This time it was Selena's turn to look quizzical, which brought a spot of color into the archer's cheeks. "You weren't' very, um, discreet, last night," Artemis finally choked out. Selena barked out a long peal of laughter, doubling over and hugging herself as she did so. After a moment, the laughter petered out and Selena straightened, amusement written all over her face.

"Look, how about we move on?" Artemis groused. She longed to knock the smug look off of the older woman's face, but she knew that doing so would only encourage Selena's antics. She was secretly relieved when Kid Flash walked into the room, bleary eyed and cross, having been awakened by the laughter.

"Don't you know what time it is?" he grumbled as he filled a cup partway with sugar and then poured coffee over top of it.

"Good morning to you too," Artemis shot back. "Selena, this is Kid Flash. Baywatch, this is-"

"Yeah yeah, I know. Selena Kyle. Took me a little while to remember where I'd heard the name, but then I remembered Robin mentioning it back when she and Batman broke up." He yawned cavernously and shambled out of the room. "I'm gonna take a shower, back in a sec." Artemis just stared at him as he walked out.

"Wait," she said, whirling on Selena. "When you and Batman... What?"

…...

It was mid afternoon when Robin woke. The pain pills he's taken the night before had worn off while he slept, and it was all he could do not to cry out in pain as he stumbled over to the mirror. His shoulder wounds weren't healing. Selena's neatly stitched lines were pulled and distorted by the swollen, angry flesh around them, and a dark green tinge was spreading outward from the edges of skin that refused to close. It was no use, they didn't have the experience or the equipment necessary to control the infection that had set in two days earlier. They were going to have to get some outside help.

Just looking at the stiff, Kevlar backed suit he and Salina had constructed made his wounds cry out in pain, so he settled for a new bandage and another set of Wally's clothes. He really needed to get a couple of his own stashed at the mountain, but he so rarely wore them here anymore it hadn't really seemed necessary until now. He pressed the domino mask to his face again, covering his eyes, and walked out to find the others.

He found them in the sparring room. When he walked in, Artemis was sitting with her back to the door, knees pulled up to her chest, with her eyes closed. Wally was a few feet in front of her, staring in rapt attention at Selena as she performed a complicated set of maneuvers with her whip. Robin wasn't sure what form of martial art she was practicing, but one look at the way her suit showed off her finely toned body as she worked told him exactly why Wally was staring. The smirk on Selena's face told him she knew as well.

With a rueful sigh, Robin motioned for her to stop and brought the three of them all together. He looked pointedly at Wally, who pretended not to notice. He and Catwoman quickly compared notes with the other two. Some of the details were glossed over, like his own injuries, but Wally and Artemis did ask some pointed questions about Selena, and it took the better part of an hour to convince them she could be trusted. Artemis in particular seemed to be overly concerned, even a little possessive, but Robin chalked that up to the fact that he had been missing for so long.

"So there hasn't been any word from the others?" he asked them. The negative reply he received cemented his decision. "It looks like we're out of options then. We have to assume the mountain has been compromised, and we need to move to a safer location. We also need logistical support."

"What did you have in mind?" Artemis asked him. She was standing very close to him, forming a wall between him and Selena, and Robin had to look up slightly to meet her eyes.

"There's a safe house that Batman and I set up last year," Robin replied reluctantly. "I was thinking we could go there. Its private, there's food and water, and a limited selection of tech. There could be," he paused for a beat, "other complications, though." He gestured at Wally over Artemis's shoulder. "KF, I could really use a word with you in private." Wally nodded in understanding. "That's all I've got. Artemis, you should go grab your stuff. Take everything you might need, I don't know when we'll be able to come back. Selena, you already know where we're going, it might be a good idea to find something else to wear. Maybe Artemis can help you?" This last bit was directed at the archer, who glared at the other woman, but she answered in the affirmative. "All right then. One hour."

…...

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Wally asked as the door to Robin's room closed behind them. Robin turned to look at him, puzzled, as he entered the code on the wall panel to seal the room. A moment later, soundproof panels rose from floor to ceiling, enclosing the small space in an acoustic bubble.

"Leaving them alone together," Wally answered, his voice flat and strangely hushed by the soundproof room. "Artemis isn't exactly a huge fan."

"I don't know. I kinda had other things on my mind."

"So you said," Wally replied, flopping back comfortably on Robin's bed. "What gives?"

"It's the safe house," Robin responded. "It's part of Batman's latest contingency plan, the one for if he's compromised. He goes off the grid all the time, but he always checks in. Bruce set up that safe house last year as a safe place to regroup in case he didn't check in. Assuming that whoever took him didn't get to the Manor first, it's a safe bet that Alfred is there now waiting to here from us."

"That's good, isn't it? Alfred could be really useful right now."

"I agree," Robin sighed, sitting down on the bed. "But there's a problem. Artemis knows him. She sees him drop me off at school every day. There's no way she won't recognize him and put two and two together."

"Oh. OH." Kid Flash stopped to absorb all the ramifications of that discovery. "Yeah, that could be a problem. Isn't there anywhere else we could go, a different safe house or something?"

"Oh sure," Robin replied easily. "Bruce has a dozen safe houses all over Gotham. But what we- what I- really need right now is Alfred."

"Why?" Wally looked genuinely surprised. He'd never pegged Robin as the sentimental type. "I thought Batman trained you to be able to function on your own."

"He did," Robin said bitterly. "But I can't take care of this without help." Wally's eyes grew huge as Robin stripped off the borrowed shirt and showed his friend the wound in his shoulder.

To be fair, Wally didn't puke at the sight of it. But it was a close thing. In the two hours since Robin had awakened, the green stain had spread across his chest, moving outward from the bullet whole that refused to heal.

"Hoo boy." Wally rolled off the bed and started to pace around the room. "So. What are you going to tell her?"

…...

They left an hour later. Dusk had fallen when they stepped out of the Zeta tube and into the muggy Gotham night. Wally gave Robin a quick fist bump before he sped off into the night, disappearing almost instantly. It had been decided that he would run reconnaissance tonight, gathering newspapers and any other information he could, as well as a few necessities. Robin had given him the address of the safe house, and told him to report back in at dawn. It would be a long night for Wally, but they needed the intel, and Robin and Artemis could go over it the next morning while Wally got some rest.

Artemis's head was still spinning from the sudden revelation. In the end Dick had decided to just dress as himself. He switched his clothes, gelled his hair into place, and pocketed the mask, then went to sit in the kitchen and wait. Artemis had gone a strange, mottled pale color when she saw him, and Robin jumped up in concern. He needn't have bothered. As soon as he was in arms reach, Artemis slapped him hard across the face, then launched into a verbal tirade and a cascading chain of logic, starting with the fact that Robin was actually Dick Grayson, that weird rich kid at school, then leaping to the fact that Batman was actually Bruce Wayne in disguise, and then the dawning realization that Bruce Wayne was the one who had provided her scholarship to attend school here in Gotham, and the fact that Robin, and by extension Dick Grayson, had known all along who she was, and never mentioned it. It had taken Artemis twenty minutes to blow herself out, and now she refused to speak to any of them as they made their way across Gotham, although who, or what, she was actually angry at was still a mystery.

It was nearing ten at night when Artemis, Dick, and Selena finally made it to the safe house. On the outside, it looked like the basement apartment to a rundown townhouse in an area marked by neglect. After opening the door to the sparsely furnished apartment, Robin activated the control pad behind the thermostat, and a section of bare concrete floor slid away to reveal the entrance to a miniature, but fully stocked, bat cave.

"Wait here a moment," Dick cautioned them. He continued down the steps into the cave alone, and a moment later they heard him calling out. It must have been a code of some sort, because lights came on in the cave, and then he was back, beckoning them to follow him. Catwoman and Robin had both spent a significant amount of time in the batcave proper, and so were underwhelmed by the hideout in front of them. Artemis, however, looked around excitedly as their stairwell opened into a small, but still sizable natural cavern. Equipment lockers lined one wall, nestled between the staircase and a group of stalagmites that rose from the polished floor. Next to them hummed a bank of computers, with a central monitor taking up most of the wall and three smaller ones hanging on either side of it. Opposite the stairwell, the wall curved around an open area with weapons racks, exercise equipment, and a sparring ring that neatly filled the space. To their left a steel security door sat flush with the stone where the curved wall met the back of the cave.

"Wow," Artemis finally said, breaking her silence. "I'm not sure what I expected, exactly, but..." She glanced at Dick. He just smiled wearily at her.

"It's not quite as comfortable as the mountain, but it's not exactly a hole in the ground, either." He looked like he was going to continue, but at that moment the security door slid back with a whisper.

"Master Richard, is that you?" An English accent called from the passage beyond. A moment later, Alfred, dressed in a tweed jacket and loose trousers, stepped into the room. A wide, relieved smile split his face at the sight of his young charge, belying his otherwise calm demeanor, and he quickly bustled them through the steel door and in to a small but comfortable kitchen.

In short sentences, between mouthfuls of egg sandwiches and hot chocolate, introductions were made and Dick caught Alfred up on what had happened. Alfred's face turned a sickly green color when he found out Wally would be arriving at dawn, and he quickly set about preparing more food. After that he found Artemis and Selena places to sleep and pointed them in the direction of the bathroom while he escorted Dick down to the medical bay.

…...

Scene: Tempropary bat-cave, lower Gotham.

Dick struggled, tossing and turning in bed, drenched in sweat. Nightmares raced behind his eyelids. In his dreams, he saw it again. The long hallway, the dimly lit room beyond. The thugs in front of him turning, guns blazing. He felt the burning metal tear into him, over and over again, the gunman multiplied a thousand times by his fevered brain, gunning down his team left and right as he fell unable to help them, unable even to see them fall as the blackness closed in around him.

A terrified scream split the still night, shattering the slumbering silence of the safe house. Dick sat up, chest heaving, shivering from the sweat that soaked him. He thought for a moment it had been his own scream that had woken him, until a second one ripped through the night seconds later. He scrambled from his bed and into the next room.

Artemis was on the floor, in the corner of the room between the dresser and the bed frame, sobbing. Dick approached her cautiously, a flashlight he didn't remember grabbing lighting up the room.

"Shhh, Artemis, shhh shhh shh," he soothed, squeezing into the tight space next to her. "Shhh. It's ok, Artemis. You're ok. What happened? What's wrong?"

"Robin?" Artemis's voice came out as a choked whisper between her sobs. He sat down next to her, making room as best he could.

"I'm here. What's wrong?" he asked.

Artemis didn't answer, she just clung to him, burying her face in his shoulder. It hurt, but Richard gritted his teeth and wrapped an arm around the shaking girl, gently easing her into a more comfortable position.

Alfred appeared suddenly, looming over the end of the bed. "Master Richard, I heard the screams. Is the young lady all right?"

Dick felt Artemis grow stiff against his chest, sobs stopping instantly, although she shook from the effort of suppressing them. "It's fine, Alfred." He glanced helplessly at the butler, gesturing a what-do-I-do-? with his free hand.

"Harrumph." Alfred cleared his throat. Clearly, everything was not fine. "Yes, well, I shall return to my book then." He shrugged gave Dick an encouraging smile, and backed out of the room. Artemis kept her face hidden until she heard the door shut behind Alfred. As soon as he was gone, she went limp again, and Dick could feel tears beginning to leak through the fabric of his shirt. After a moment she sat up and pushed him away.

"I'm sorry," she said, not looking at him. "I'm fine now. You don't have to stay."

"Are you sure?" he asked, a little awkwardly, but clearly concerned.

"Yes," she said, but she didn't sound convinced. Robin stood and put a hand on her shoulder.

"I'll be right back," he said encouragingly. He was rewarded with a watery smile and a quiet "thank you."

A moment later, Robin was back, awkwardly dragging his light mattress into the room. He turned back to the door and found Alfred had materialized in the doorway, holding Dick's pillow and blanket, neatly folded. A smug smile graced the butler's face, and Robin couldn't help grinning in return. "Thanks, Alfred." As he took the blanket and pillow, he noticed a pink, sea-shell shaped night light nestled on top of them. Dick didn't bother asking where Alfred had gotten such a thing, but he gratefully plugged it in and set up his mattress on the far side of the room.

As he pulled the covers up around his shoulders, Dick glanced one last time at Artemis. In the soft half-light, he could see the glitter of her eyes as she watched him intently, hugging her knees to her chest. There was an expression of intense loneliness on her face. As soon as she noticed his glance, she smoothed out her face and feigned nonchalance. She couldn't quite pull if off, however, and as her brittle shell began to slip she rolled over, leaving Dick staring at her back. After a moment more to be sure she wasn't going to turn back around, Dick lay back on his pillow and drifted off.

He was almost asleep when he heard Artemis moving, and a second later he felt her crawl under the covers next to him. He cracked his eyes in surprise, and looked down into a face filled with uncertainty. He opened his mouth to say something, which caused Artemis to tense, prepared for him to send her away. Instead Dick just sighed and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close. He felt, rather than heard, her small murmur of relief as he adjusted his position to accommodate her. Dick found to his surprise that she fit rather comfortably, one shoulder tucked under his arm, and her cheek nestled against his chest. With another small sound, she twisted her fingers in his shirt and relaxed, letting her weight press against him. A few minutes later, Dick finally managed to fall asleep, wisely ignoring the silent tears soaking into his shirt, his deep steady breathing doing more to comfort Artemis than words possibly could.

…...

"Is it hard, Alfred?" Selena asked as she watched the two teens sleep. She had waited outside the room with Alfred until they were sure the teens were asleep, and now she and Alfred peered through the slightly open door, making sure the two young heroes were ok.

"Is what hard, Miss Kyle?"

"Watching them. Bruce I mean, and these children. They grow up, and go out into danger. And you stay here, and watch them go, and wait for them to return. You patch them up when they're broken, and send them right back out again. Doesn't it hurt?"

"Of course it is. Every time I stitch them up, a little part of me dies. And seeing the darkness creep in, the darkness that threatens to corrupt these innocent souls, it fills me with dread so that I hardly sleep at night. Yes, it is hard for me. But it's hard for them too. They go out every night and put their lives on the line, little shining lights of purity fighting back against the dark. And all they ask is that I'm here, a safe haven, protecting their home so that they can continue their fight?"

A gentle smile crossed Alfred's face. "If I couldn't do that much for Master Bruce then really, what kind of butler would I be?"

Selena smiled and was silent for a moment, reflecting. "Why do you do it, Alfred? After Bruce's parents died, when you saw what he was going to become. Why did you stay?"

"Miss Kyle," Alfred said slowly, "Bruce, has always needed direction. You've seen first hand his self-destructive tendencies. When he was a child, after his parents died- there was no one there to guide him. I was going to leave, originally. I had loved his parents, and staying in their home after their death was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. But I did it for Bruce. I made him a promise, Miss Kyle. I promised him I would always be there for him, until the very end."

"You know," she said seriously, "I think he believed you. You're the only one he trusts, Alfred. He doesn't let anyone else get close to him, only you."

"Well, that is why I try to steer him towards people like you, Miss Kyle. People who will be a good influence on him."

Selena laughed again merrily. "Oh, I don't know about that!" She said. "I think you were the only influence he ever needed. You're everything to him, you know. His friend, his confidant. These boys couldn't have asked for a better father figure."

"Oh, I wouldn't go that far, Miss Kyle." Alfred smiled kindly at her as he gently closed the door. "You see, I'm just one hell of a butler."


End file.
